Automobile hydraulic system



Dec. 23, 1952 E. M. GREER AUTOMOBILE HYDRAULIC SYSTEM 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 27, 1948 INVENTOR. [Mama M GREEF? M w w M,

Dec. 23, 1952 GREER 2,622,400

AUTOMOBILE HYDRAULIC SYSTEM Filed Oct. 27, 1948 s Sheets-Sheet 2 4IIIIIIIIII! lInlInu 1952 E. M. GREER AUTOMOBILE HYDRAULIC SYSTEM 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Oct. 27, 1948 Patented Dec. 23, 1952 AUTOMOBILE HYDRAULIC SYSTEM Edward M. Greer, West Hempstead, N. Y., assignor to Greer Hydraulics, 1110., BrooklymN. Y.

Application October 27, 1948, Serial No. 56,775

3 Claims.

This invention relates to a .hydraulic system for automotive vehicles, and is particularly .directed to the hydraulic means for actuating various components of the vehicle.

The prior .art illustrates various hydraulic devices as included within an automotive vehicle such as hydraulically operated regulators for the vehicle windows and hydraulically operated jacks for lifting said vehicle.

An object of the present invention is to provide a hydraulic system operated from the automotive motor power source and provided .With means to store said hydraulic pressure in said system for operating the various components of said hydraulic system.

Another object of this invention is to provide fluid actuated means connected to the hydraulic system of said automotive vehicle, to raise and lower the hood of said automotive vehicle.

Another object of this invention is to provide fluid actuated means connected to the hydraulic system of said automotive vehicle, to raise and lower the folding top of said automotive vehicle.

Another object of this invention is to provide fluid actuated means connected to the hydraulic system of said automotive vehicle, to raise the cover over said luggage compartment.

Another object of this invention is to provide fluid actuated means connected to the hydraulic system of said automotive vehicle to adjust the position of the drivers seat with relation to the driving wheel.

A still further object of this invention is to providea fluid storage means to store a sufflcient quantity of said fluid under pressure from a hydrau ie system in said automotive vehicle during the operation of same to provide suflicient fluid power to operate various hydraulic components in said automotive vehicle after the motor in said vehicle has been stopped.

Further objects of this invention will be apparent by reference to the accompanying description and drawings in which:

Fig. 1 illustrates a side elevational view of an automotive vehicle diagrammatically illustrating the hydraulic system and the various hydraulically operated components,

which .a hydraulic system .and various hydraulic components have been illustrated rather fragmentarily to clearly define the relationship of the system and units to the automotive vehicle. More particularly a hydraulic system i! is connected ,to the automotive generator l2 so that with the operation of thecautomotive generator, the hydraulic system will be charged with fluid under pressure.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2 the generator 12 may be driven by a belt or chain l4 connected to the motor (not shown). When thegenerator i2 is operating, a fluid gear pump I5 connected directly to the shaft of the generator i2, will be driven and the pump I5 will draw fluid from a reservoir i'l through a .fllter l8 and pipe 16, and the pump [5 will force fluid through a pipe It to an unloader valve 20. The unloader valve 20 may be of any suitable type to permit flow .of fluid under pressure therethroughand when the pressure in said valve reaches a predetermined value, the valve must provide means to unload said fluid through a return line 2! to the reservoir ll. When the fluid under pressure is forced into the unloader valve 20 as shown .in Fig. 2, the fluid will flow according to the arrows illustrated, passing through ball valve controlled opening ,A and through an outlet port 22 and through pipe 23 to be distributed to the hydraulic equipment to be operated. The fluid will also flow through the inlet port 24 of a storage accumulator 25. Assuming the line 23 to be closed, when the accumulator 25 is fully charged the pressure on the fluid in line 23 will produce a back pressure in the unloader valve 20 causing the slide valve '13 to move to the right (Fig. 2) and the fluid will flow against the piston C to force the latter upwardly to unseat a second ball valve D and thus provide a passageway for the fluid from pipe 19 directly into an exhaust chamber E and out the outlet pipe 2! back to the reservoir ll. When slide valve B has moved to the limit of its stroke the back pressure in unloader valve 2% will cause ball valve A to close. Thus the unloader valve 20 will be cycled in its operation according to the demands of a hydraulic system connected to the pipe 23.

Referring to Fig. 3 there is illustrated diagrammatically a pair of hydraulically operated cylinders 38 :and 39 and the hydraulic system and control valves a l and 45 and lock cylinder 43 that may be utilized for the actuation of the automotive hood 4| or may be similarly installed for the actuation and operation of the folding top 42 of the automotive vehicle. In Fig. 33 the fluid pipe 23 is connected to a rotary selector valve 21 of any standard design illustratively of the type having a central core v28 in which a pair of arcuateshaped channels Zlland 3,0 are formed. A housing 3| is provided to surround this central core 28 and four ports-CI C2, VP and R areoom nected through the housing 3| in the relation- Ship illustrated in Fig. 3. A lever 32 controlled by an operating shaft 33 and button 34 is connected to the central core 28 so that said central core 28 can be rotated through ninety degrees by the movement of said shaft 33 from the position illustrated in full line to the position illustrated in dotted lines. The pressure port P is connected to the pipe 23 while the return port R is connected to a return line 35 that is in turn connected to the reservoir ll of the hydraulic system. The port CI is connected to a line 36 while the port C2 is connected to a line 31. The cylinders 38 and 39 are of a standard design in which a piston fitted within the cylinder is connected by means of a rod to a coupling joint and each of said cylinders has a fluid port 57, 59 and 58, 69 respectively, so that when fluid under pressure enters one end of said cylinder the piston will be moved away from that end towards the opposite end of the cylinder while the fluid on the opposite side of the piston will be forced out of the cylinder and in similar fashion fluid charged into the opposite end of the cylinder will force the piston in an opposite direction similarly forcing the fluid out of the cylinder from the opposite side of said cylinder. The lock cylinder 49 is also of a standard design in which a piston 40' is moved to either end of said cylinder depending upon into which end of the cylinder the fluid is forced, the cylinder 49 being provided with a pair of fluid ports 4| and 42' at its ends respectively. The cylinder 49 is also provided with a central rod 43 that may be reciprocated with the movement of the piston 49 in cylinder 49 and which extends beyond both ends of said cylinder. The valves 44 and 45 are similar in structure comprising a housing 46 having ports 59 51 and 50 5| respectively with a slide valve 41 mounted in a central bore in the valve and normally urged to valve closing position by a spring '49. The slide valve 41 of valve 44 is provided with a longitudinally extending pin 48 extending through one end of said valve housing 43 and controlled by the end 45 of rod 43. The slide valve 41 in valve 44 is so formed that under the urging of spring 49, ports 59 and 51 will be closed. The slide valve 41 in valve 45 is so formed that in the position illustrated, fluid entering through port 59 may pass through the valve and out port 5| and vice versa. Valve 45 is controlled by an external finger 53 connected to the piston rod of cylinder 39 and movable against the end of valve pin 48 fixed to slide valve 4? of valve 45.

When the slide valve 47 of valve 44 is in the position illustrated, it prevents the flow of fluid from port 59 to port 5| or vice versa. The fiuid pressure line 31 is connected to port 42 of the lock cylinder 49 and to port 59 of the valve 44'. A fluid line 55 is connected from the port 4| of the lock cylinder 40 to the port 50 of the valve 45. A fluid line 56 is connected between the port 5| of the valve 44 and the ports 57 and 58 of the hydraulic cylinders 38 and 39, respectively. The various components of the system illustrated in Fig. 3 being identified, the operation of this system may be apparent as follows. Fluid under pressure from line 23 will pass through channel 39 of the rotary valve 21, through the line 3! and due to valve 44 being in a closed position, as shown, the fluid under pressure will pass to the port 42'- of the lock cylinder 40 causing the rod 43 to be retracted 4 and the end 43' thereof which acts as a locking bolt withdrawn from locking engagement with a complementary locking conformation 44' in the structure in which it is normally positioned, which may be, for example, in the top 42 of the vehicle. As rod 43 is retracted, the opposite end 45f thereof will actuate pin 43 to move the slide valve 4? against the tension of spring 49 to provide communication between ports 59 and 5 for passage of fluid under pressure. The fluid will pass through the line 56 entering the ports 51 and 58 of the hydraulic cylinders 33 and 39 to move the piston rodstherein to the position illustrated in broken lines. During the stroke of the pistons in said cylinders the fluid therein on the opposite side of the pistons will be forced out of the ports 59 and 69 through the line 35 and due to the slide valve 41 of valve 45 moving to valve closing position, closing ports 50 and SI as the piston rod of cylinder 39 is moved, thereby moving finger 53 away from pin 48, the fluid will flow past valve 45 through line 35, port Cl and channel 29 of valve 21, through port R and line 35 to reservoir l7.

Thus with the valve 21 in the position illustrated, an automobile hood 4| or a top 42 controlled by cylinders 38 and 39 and by lock cylinder 40 may be unlocked and raised.

Similarly by moving the button 34 to the position illustrated in broken lines, the hub 28 of valve 21 will be rotated '90 degrees so that channel 29 will connect ports P and Cl and channel 30 will connect ports C2 and R. In this position, fluid under pressure will flow from line 23 through port P, channel 29, port Cl, line 35 and with valve 45 in closed position as it is with the hood 4| or top 42 raised, the fluid will flow to ports 59 and 59 of cylinders 33 and 39.

As a result, the fluid under pressure will move the piston in cylinders 38 and 39 in direction to retract the associated piston rods to lowerthe hood or top of the car. When the piston rod in cylinder 39 has been moved sufficiently so that finger 53 abuts against pin 48, the. slide valve 4'! of valve 45 will be moved to open the ports 59 and 5| As a result, fluid under pressure from line 36 will pass through valve 45 and line '55 to port 4| of lock cylinder 49 moving the rod 43 thereof so that end 43' will be moved into locking engagement with locking conformation 44 in the hood 4| or top 42 as the case may be.

During the movement of the pistons in cylinders 3B and 39 to hood or top lowered position, the fluid forced out of ports 51 and 53 of thesecylinders will flow through lines 56, open ports M 53 of valve 44, line 31, .port C2, channel 30, port R, line 35 to reservoir It is also to be noted that when the hood or top is fullyclosed and locked, end 45' of rod 43 will have moved upwardly to the position indicated in Fig. 3 so as to release pressure on pin 48, thus permitting spring 49 to elevate slide valve 41 of valve 44 to. close ports 53 and 5| so that the system is ready for the next operation.

Although the system shown in Fig. 3 has been described with relation to a hood 4| or a folding top 42, it may be used with any component where it is necessary to unlock such component and move it in two directions and then relock.

In Fig. 4 is diagrammatically shown the mount for a cylinder 39 which may be pivotally mounted in its base to a bracket 53 by means of a pin 52, the bracket being aflixed to the frame of the vehicle. The piston rod'in cylinder 39 is connected bya coupling 64 to folding levers F for the folding top 42 or may be connected as at X to one end of the hood 4| of the vehicle.

Referring to Fig. 5, there is illustrated actu 'ating mechanism for a trunk cover 77 in which a rotary valve 70 is provided similar to valve 27, except that it has but one arcuate channel H.

The valve 79 may be positioned in either of two positions as illustrated. In one position, arcuate channel H connects pressure port P with port C2 while in the other position, channel H connects port C2 with return port R. As shown, port C2 is connected by line 12 to port 14 of hydraulic cylinder 13, the latter having but this single port. The piston in cylinder i3 is normally urged downwardly by a spring 75 therein and the piston is moved upwardly when fluid under pressure is forced into port 14.

With valve 70 in the position shown, fluid entering port P will pass through channel H, port C2, line 12 into port 14 to lift the piston and piston rod in cylinder 73 against the tension of spring 15. As a result, the trunk cover 11 will be opened. To close the cover 11 it is merely necessary to actuate valve so that channel 1| provides communication between ports 02 and R and seals port P. As a result, the tension of spring will move the piston and piston rod in cylinder 13 downwardly to lower the trunk cover 11 and the fluid in cylinder 73 will be forced out of port 14, line 12, port C2, channel H, port R and line 35 to reservoir IT.

The system shown in Fig. 5 may also be us d to open and shut a window 9 I. Referring to Fig. 1, a single port cylinder 80 is provided, similar to cylinder 73, and a spring retaining mechanism B2 is provided to close the window 8 I. Thus, by actuating a valve 10A, similar to valve 70, fluid under pressure may be forced into the cylinder 80 to open the window and the latter may be retained open by cutting off the pressure. By

' moving the valve 10A to closed position as shown in Fig. 5, the spring mechanism 82 will close the window and expel fluid from cylinder 80.

A system similar to that shown in Fig. 5 and that operating the windows may be used to move the seat 9| of a vehicle to any desired position. The seat is actuated by a hydraulic cylinder 90 and a return spring mechanism 92 and controlled by a valve 10B similar to valve 79.

Since the average automobile when running is continually driving the generator I2 and pump 15, there is a surplus of energy wasted and in this particular installation the pump 75 may be very small as fluid is continuously pumped through the unloaded valve 29 to accumulator 25. Thus a large accumulator may be provided to store an ample amount of fluid under pressure to permit the actuation of any and all hydraulic components connected to the hydraulic system a plurality of times even when the automobile engine is not running.

Although various hydraulic components have been illustrated as connected to the hydraulic system as described, various changes in the components or modifications in the use of these components may be made without departing from the spirit of this invention and this invention should be limited only by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A device for actuating a pivotally mounted member of the type having a locking conformation, comprising a hydraulic cylinder having a piston therein, a piston rod actuated by said piston and operatively connected to said pivotally mounted member, a second hydraulic cylinder 6 having a piston therein and a piston rod actuated thereby and protruding beyond one end of said second hydraulic cylinder, said protruding end defining a locking bolt coacting with such locking conformation said pivotally mounted member to lock the same, a source of fluid under pressure, means to connect said source of fluid to said second hydraulic cylinder to move the bolt end of the piston rod thereof out of looking engagement with said pivotally mounted member, valve means actuated by said second piston rod to connect the source of fluid under pressure to said first hydraulic cylinder to actuate the piston rod therein in one direction, after said pivotally mounted member has been unlocked, thereby to pivot such member, means to connect said source of fluid to said first hydraulic cylinder to move the piston rod therein in the opposite direction and means after said piston rod has moved a predetermined amount in such opposite direction to connect such source of fluid to said second hydraulic cylinder to move thebolt end of the piston rod. thereof into looking engagement with said pivotally mounted member.

2. The combination set forth in claim 1 in which a line connects said source of fluid to said second hydraulic cylinder and said last named means comprises a valve in said line having a slide member normally positioned in said Valve in closed position with respect to said source of fluid when said piston rod of said first hydraulic cylinder has been actuated a predetermined distance in said one direction, said piston rod having a control arm actuating said slide member to open the valve with respect to said source of fluid when said piston rod has been moved a predetermined amount in such opposite direction.

3. The combination set forth in claim 1 in which the piston rod of said second hydraulic cylinder is operatively connected to said associated valve means to actuate the latter, said valve member being in closed position withrespect to said source of fluid when said bolt end is in looking position and in open position with respect to said source of fluid when said bolt end has been retracted from the complementary locking conformation on said pivoted member.

EDWARD M. GREER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,938,502 Steindler et al. Dec. 5, 1933 2,090,768 Thomas Aug. 24, 1937 2,130,618 Gnavi Sept. 20, 1938 2,210,519 Wollensak Aug. 6, 1940 2,216,518 Parsons Oct. 1, 1940 2,248,379 Parsons July 8, 1941 2,264,375 Hill et al. Dec. 2, 1941 2,283,761 Richter May 19, 1942 2,306,348 Spear Dec. 22, 1942 2,322,839 Falcon June 29, 1943 2,350,634 Parsons June 6, 1944 2,352,929 Worgess July 4, 1944 2,432,895 Horton Dec. 16, 1947 2,437,520 Gunning Mar. 9, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 531,465 Great Britain Jan. 6, 1941 

